Pretty Rock National Wildlife Refuge

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Pretty Rock NWR is located in Grant County, eight miles south of New Leipzig, North Dakota. The 800 acre refuge was created as easements soon after a Works Progress Administration water conservation project was built during the 1930's. The FWS has no fee title ownership. The ND State Land Department owns and leases grazing rights on 640 acres. The remaining 160 acres is privately owned grazing land. The vegetation is native prairie and is usually over-grazed. In recent years the landowner has enrolled a portion of the refuge and adjacent land in the Conservation Reserve Program to improve wildlife habitat. The refuge dam spillway and dike are being repaired under a cooperative agreement with . A new water control structure is being installed and refuge personnel re-riprapped the entire face of the dam, fall 1997. Cooperative agreements are being pursued with Ducks Unlimited and the Bureau of Reclamation to repair dam and spillways and to improve nesting habitat on the State land within the Refuge through a beneficial grazing system.